The Professional FreelanceJournalism Course

Write about travel

Discover sports journalism

Write for car magazines

See your name in print

Freedom

This course will give you the opportunity to learn the skills required to be a successful freelance journalist from the comfort of your own home, or from anywhere in the world!

Professionalism

Work directly with an established and current professional freelance journalist with a proven record of success who will teach you all you need to know.

Flexibility

The course is conducted by distance learning and delivered to you over your choice of 12 or 24 weeks. It is entirely self-paced, and you can take up to 2 years to complete the course.

The Professional Freelance Journalism Course

The Professional Freelance Journalism Course is provided by the Morris Journalism Academy and is designed to accomplish three things:

To equip you with the knowledge and skills required to become a freelance journalist either as a full or part-time career or as a profitable sideline.

To provide you with the knowledge and skills to gain entry-level employment as a journalist in mainstream media. This is achieved by helping you to build a valuable portfolio of published material which is usually the determining factor in being offered mainstream media employment.

Learn how to write a feature article, pitch your ideas and see your work published. Or even develop more general writing skills, like how to write a blog.

If this sounds like your ideal skill-set and you have a desire to see your name in print, request your free course guide today by clicking here.

COURSE TYPE:Professional & Personal Development.

STUDY MODE:Distance.

COURSE DELIVERY: Email or post

COURSE LENGTH: 12 or 24 weeks (take up to 2 years)

Morris Journalism Academy

The Morris Journalism Academy is a division of Australian News And Features Service. Our directors and principals have been involved in all aspects of media work for some 30 years. The principles of freelance journalism are similar the world over. However this freelance journalism course has been individually revised and designed to suit the needs of students living and working in Australia and New Zealand.

Request a Course Guide & Pricing Information

Why Get Into Freelance Journalism?

10 Great Reasons To Do This Freelance Journalism Course

You are your own boss. As a freelance writer you’ll enjoy an independence rarely experienced in other professions.

Your source material is endless.

You can specialise in your passions.

You can work from home. Your costs are minuscule. Your only essential tool is your home PC.

For every article you write, you will learn at least one new fact.

For every article you write, you will meet at least one new person.

A hobby can become a career. You can turn any interest you have into profit by being published, and published regularly. Whether it be a sport, craft, hobby or professional experience, readers and editors wish to share your knowledge. If you have a passion for travel, adventure, show business, the arts, health and fitness, food or finance, you can turn this into a money-making pursuit. Similarly if you have a professional skill, readers would like to hear from you.

Your hours are flexible. Freelance writing is something you can do part-time. Unless you are out ‘on assignment’, you can work from home, at the times that best suit you.

There is no such thing as a ‘typical’ freelance writer. In fact, many freelance writers didn’t set out deliberately on this path. Instead, they entered the industry because they felt they had something to say – usually about a subject for which they have a passion. School teachers, trades people, nurses, secretaries, business people, IT specialists: competent freelance writers come from all fields.

Part-time freelance writing is a path to full-time employment as a full-time freelance or staff journalist. If you are looking for employment in the media industry the first question any editor will ask is: “What have you had published previously?”. This is your most important qualification. Freelance writing quickly builds your all-important portfolio of published material which can serve as a stepping-stone into mainstream media.

Read what past graduates say about the Professional Freelance Journalism Course:

Paul Southwick

"I now have a new enhanced skill immediately and directly relevant to my work; an extra source of income; and a recognised qualification that I can use to earn money while working for myself..."

“The level of instruction at the Morris Journalism Academy is outstanding and there’s no better way to be prepared for a career in freelance journalism than being taught by people who work in the industry.”

“...two months before I finished this freelance journalism course, I had written two articles for a publishing company in the ACT. I was commissioned to write the Victorian section of their upcoming publication Australia – The Education Destination.”

“My first commissioned article was a feature on Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I had the good fortune to meet one of the few survivors of the former prison and it progressed from there. There is no way I would have tackled a subject like this before...”

“Since completing the Morris Journalism Academy Course I had articles published in motoring and defence-related magazines in Australia, NZ and the UK ... I found the distance learning course interesting and fun to do.”

“Within a month of finishing the course, I had my first article published as a double page spread in Inside Football magazine. Not long after, I was fortunate enough to have one of my human interest articles published as the cover story for the SA Weekend magazine”

“Since completing my course, I have been commissioned to write for Custom Kitcar. The first issue of this new magazine had four of my articles while the second issue will have up to six articles. So I have been published with an on going contract for which I will be paid.”

“My dream was to be published in a glossy magazine and just before I graduated, I achieved this. My 600-word piece on the beach village of Bargara, near Bundaberg, was a winner in the July edition of On the Road.”

“I have successfully been published twice in The Moroccan Times newspaper during the course of my studies. My goal is to continue to write and publish travel and life style articles. I would highly recommend the course to any budding journalist.”

“In the twelve months after completing this journalism course, I’ve already earned twice the course fees. When I transition to full-time writing, I know I can get published and paid well for it. Completing this journalism course has given me the confidence to believe I can do it.”

“I have written over 100 album reviews, most of which have been published on some of the most prominent music websites in Australia (FasterLouder, The Dwarf, Cyclic Defrost, LiveGuide). I highly recommend the Academy to any writers out there.”

“Now, I have a portfolio of work featured in several different publications – one of my humour pieces even made it to the Huffington Post’s front page. I’ve built great relationships with editors, which has led to a steady stream of commissions.”

“I was thrilled to find the first article I sent off to a magazine was accepted for publication. It gave me hope for my new future career as a writer and as you can imagine, it was an exciting moment in our household.”

“I have learned the fundamentals of the trade and how to give editors what they want. Throughout the course, you are encouraged to write articles that you are able to use in the future. The course made sure you are industry-ready, rather than introducing a bunch of irrelevant theories.”

"Five months after graduating from the course, I independently published my first magazine. 52 pages of fashion, beauty, lifestyle and inspirational stories collected, organised and some written by me - the editor and publisher of i-am magazine."

“I’m now a regular freelance photo journalist/contributor for a major local paper, and multiple magazine publication companies... As I was studying it was like the words were falling off the pages and becoming a reality, pretty much everything the course said came true.”

“Thanks to the Morris Academy of Journalism, I built up the confidence, and practical skills, I was lacking, to actually get published - and not just once, but several times! … After completing my course I felt like I obtained the final tools I needed.”

“My pitch to Blitz martial arts magazine was a break away from my pitches to travel publications and it turned out to be my breakthrough. Within a year, I had three articles published with the magazine.”

“All in all the skills you learn in the course are enough to get started as a writer. If you can come up with the grit and stay focused on success; the opportunity is there to learn and get started in a new adventure.”

“Within weeks of finishing the journalism course, I had introduced myself to the editor of a commercial newspaper, and was commissioned to write an article. It was published in a Saturday edition as a double page feature.”

“I am grateful to my tutor and to the Morris Journalism Academy for providing me with the skills to build a freelance writing career ... and my income from freelance writing has already covered the costs of this course”

“With a bit of practice, a lot of research and the right tools, you can write about almost anything. As a result, Cleo magazine has just published one of my articles...Thanks to the Morris Journalism Academy, I have all the information I need to do what I love and get paid for it.”

“The Professional Journalism Course is about making a career out of your limited abilities to write and your passions and areas of interest. No matter what age, gender or lifestyle you have ... this online journalism course will give you the best chance at achieving those goals.”

“The material really speaks to you as a freelance writing professional, giving you the chance to try new ideas, explore new subjects and develop a strong writing style. It is challenging – but very worth it.”

“. . . I’ve had multiple articles printed in a national publication – Inside Football magazine. Seeing your name (and now photo) in print is one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. The fact that they also pay me to write about something I love is an additional bonus.”

"Thanks to course notes developed by industry professionals, I knew how to approach, and how to not approach, a busy editor. I just had my first feature-length article published in the Australian outdoor magazine Great Walks and received my first pay cheque."

“Some of my articles have already been published online and I have submitted several more to a variety of print publications. I have also taken the skills I learnt in the course and started my own web content writing business called Pro-Content Australia.”

“I can honestly say that a three-year degree at university didn’t teach me as much as the Morris Journalism Academy course taught me in six months... Now I’m brimming with ideas and prospective stories that I can’t wait to get out to editors.”

“About six months after completing the course I started working at Reader’s Digest, where I garnered a lot of experience across a mix of advertising, copywriting and journalism-based assignments. Without having done the course, I wouldn’t have even got a look-in for the position…”

“I was encouraged to write outside my comfort zone, writing articles on subjects that were diverse and that I would not have considered before... I found myself to be growing in confidence, not only with my writing, but also in marketing the articles I wrote.”

“I am 36 years of age and looking for a change in how I earn a living. Completing the journalism course is enabling me to move from a job I don’t really enjoy to one that provides me with a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure.”

“...I have had articles on my travels to Mongolia published in The Age newspaper in Melbourne. I would highly recommend this journalism course to anyone looking to live the dream of writing for a living.”

“I have written multiple times for Ralph, Soccer International, au.fourfourtwo.com, Audio Technology, Hyper, www.classicrockmagazine.com, National Liquor News and Poker News Australasia & Pacific. All my own interests, all from the comfort of my own home.”

ABOUT THE MORRIS JOURNALISM ACADEMY

The Morris Journalism Academy has proudly provided journalism courses and training since 2004. Our directors and principles have been involved in all aspects of media work and distance education for over 30 years and we have provided online journalism courses to students in over 80 countries and territories.

FIND US IN YOUR LOCATION

Courses available to anyone in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Brisbane, Darwin, Canberra and all regional and metropolitan areas. As the course is conducted online, you can undertake it from any location in the world. Morris Journalism Academy is a division of Australian News and Feature Service Pty Ltd. Our sister college in the United Kingdom is the British College of Journalism.